


Part One

by foretoldjen



Series: Of Love and Puppies [1]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: AU, Awkwardness, Fluff, M/M, Puppies, Sobriety, frerard!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 09:17:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2223684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foretoldjen/pseuds/foretoldjen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank's four year old dog, Winston, gets sick one night and Frank takes him to the pet hospital, where he meets Gerard. Awkwardness and fluff ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I got emotional about my dog. Therefore I obviously felt the need to write a fic about puppies.

Frank comes home late one Tuesday night. He’d been at the library for the better part of four hours trying to write a decent paper for his stupid business class, but he ended up just bullshitting it, like he does with every other paper he has to write for that stupid class. So when he gets back to his closet-size apartment, the first thing he hears is a continuous bout of whines coming from the living room. This is strange because Frank has had Winston for four years now, and he stopped whining when he was in his kennel once he turned a year old. When Frank adopted Winston, the first thing they told him was to get a kennel for the puppy, but _absolutely not, no fucking way in hell,_ is what Frank had said because he wasn’t going to put Winston in a fucking _cage,_ hell no. When Winston managed to chew up two textbooks, destroy a 100 year old copy of _Julius Caesar_ that had once belonged to his grandfather, and tear down the curtains he had hanging in the living room, he caved. As it turned out, Winston really fucking loved his kennel. When Frank was busy with homework, or just too fucking exhausted to play with the little (big) guy, Winston would hang out in his kennel by himself, chewing on his favorite elephant toy (the elephant toy- which Frank had sewn up, by his estimate, twenty times, all the fluff was gone,and the ropes that had been the ears and tail are long since destroyed, so now the toy is just an awkward looking elephant with no tail or ears, but still, Winston’s favorite.) So when he unlocks the door and hears the whines from Winston, he immediately worries. He opens the door to the kennel, but Winston doesn’t move, just keeps whining, lower and quieter than before. Winston gags, and Winston has this thing about throwing up- he gets really embarrassed. When Winston was a puppy, he always ate his food way too fast, and he would usually throw it up a few minutes later. Then he would hide in the closet for three hours, no matter how many times Frank sat in the closet with him and cooed and rubbed his ears, saying _It’s okay buddy, Daddy’s not mad at you._ But Winston doesn’t throw up, he just keeps gagging and gagging, eventually dry heaving, and finally stopping. Frank tries to coax him out with a treat, and then a Mr. Icecube, but he won’t fucking budge. He starts gagging again.  Winston’s a big dog, and Frank’s a pretty small guy, he doesn’t exactly _fit_ in the kennel, but there’s enough room for him to get partially in. He pets him, and Winston just whines and gags, and Frank lifts his hind leg to check his stomach, and his eyes widen because Winston’s belly looks HUGE, and _fuck fuck fuck_ he thinks, something’s wrong. He crawls out of the kennel. The vet they go to is closed now, and they don’t have emergency services. He gets on the internet and searches for _emergency pet hospital manhattan._ He clicks the first one, and dials the number on his phone, it rings once, twice, three times, until he hears a voice say “University Animal Hospital, Jake speaking.” 

Frank quickly, desperately explains Winston’s symptoms to Jake, who promptly says that Frank needs to bring him in IMMEDIATELY because it sounds like Winston’s stomach is flipped, and that means emergency surgery. The problem is, Frank bikes everywhere. The hospital isn’t far from Frank’s apartment (thank god), maybe two blocks, but he doesn’t think Winston can walk that far, and again, Winston’s a big dog (65 pounds- last time they weighed him.) Frank’s a small guy, he can’t carry him two blocks. _Fuck fuck fuck,_ is all he can think. He hangs up with Jake and says he’ll be there within thirty minutes. By now, it’s 2 am. He calls the only person he can think to call. 

“This better be really fucking important.” Ray’s voice comes from the phone, groggy. 

“Ray, it’s me, I need your help. Winston’s sick, and he can’t walk. I have to get him to the pet hospital, but I can’t carry him myself. Please, please, dude.” 

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Ray says, alert. 

Ray and Frank have been friends since high school. They met in gym on their first day at Queen of Peace Catholic School, and they’ve been friends ever since. Ray actually helped him pick out Winston, went to the shelter with him and everything. Ray is most definitely Winston’s favorite uncle. He takes care of him when Frank’s busy, and, more often than not, comes over to hang out with Winston _instead_ of Frank. The door opens five minutes later, and Ray looks just as worried sick as Frank feels. He doesn’t say anything, just beelines to Winston’s kennel where Winston is still whining. Ray sits down and pets his head, talking to him in a low voice. 

“I don’t know how to get him out, he won’t move.” Frank tells Ray. 

In the end, they have to pull him out of his kennel by his front paws, and Winston whines like it’s agony, and Frank almost looses any ounce of composure he was trying for. They carry him, awkwardly, Frank sideways at his front, and Ray at his butt. Frank wishes they had a wagon or _something_ because Winston just looks miserable. It’s a challenge getting him down the stairs, and two blocks suddenly seems like five miles, and the whole time Winston is whining and gagging, and goddamn, Frank has never been so worried in his life. Finally, _finally,_ they get there. Ray rings the bell, and someone, Jake, Frank assumes, comes running up to the door to let them in. And then they take him away, and Frank just looses it. Ray sits him down on a couch and embraces him, rubbing small circles on his back and, _It’s fine, he’s gonna be fine, he’ll be okay, everything’s fine,_ he whispers over and over in Frank’s ear. After a while, Frank stops crying, and Ray says he’s going to go get them some coffee. There’s a 24 hour diner a block away, and he’ll be back in fifteen. Frank’s shoulders sag, and he really, _really_ needs a fucking cigarette, but in the frenzy of getting Winston here, he left without them. He looks around the lobby, and for the first time, notices a man sitting across from him. He’s got shaggy, black hair, an he’s in sweatpants and a batman hoodie, and he looks worried. Not as much of a mess as Frank (he’s not crying, Frank has still got tears in his eyes), but still worried. The guy is pale, but pink-pale, not yellow-pale like Frank gets during the winter, and his eyes are dark. If this wasn’t a pet hospital, and they both weren’t obviously in emotional distress because of their pets, he’s the type of guy Frank would try to chat up. 

 There’s a girl at the desk now, and he asks if she knows anything about Winston. She tells him they’re still doing x-rays and tests, and they’ll let him know as soon as they can. He sighs, and tells her he's going to step outside. She nods with sympathetic eyes, and tell’s him everything’s going to be okay, he’s in good hands, take your time. He looks back to see the man, and he’s gone. He sighs again. He steps out into a warm April night (well, morning), and hopes Ray gets back soon, because he really fucking needs that coffee, and maybe Ray has his cigarettes on him. Frank runs his hands through his hair, and wrings them together. He smells smoke, and looks around. The man from the lobby is standing, a ways away from him, and there’s a lit cigarette dangling from him lips. Frank doesn’t usually like to bum from people, he thinks it’s rude, but he’s desperate. He walks toward him. 

“Hey, um,” The man looks at him, “Hi, look would you mind if I bummed one? I’m really sorry, I wouldn’t normally ask, but I left mine at home, and I’m kind of desperate, and-” 

The man holds out his open pack, and Frank gives a half-hearted but grateful smile. He takes one, puts it in between his lips, and the man lights it for him. Frank takes a deep inhale, and sighs, “ _Fuck.”_ He says, “Thanks for this.” 

The man shrugs, pauses for what seems like ages, and finally says, “You looked like you needed it.” 

“Yeah...” Frank laughs grimly, “So uh, what’s wrong with yours then?” 

“They think she has parvo. She’s only six months old. Her name is Zathura, Zoe for short.” 

“Oh.” Frank says, “I’m sorry. It’s a nice name, though.” 

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. This is a good place. My brother takes his cat here, and he always says how good of care they give her.” 

Frank nods, wishing that made him feel better. Frank gives the guy a once over, decides not only is he hot, but he doesn’t seem like a stalker, so he stick out his hand. “Frank.” 

“Gerard.” They shake hands, and Frank likes the feel of Gerard hands, they’re rough and calloused, and his shake is firm. 

“So...um,” Gerard pauses, “What happened to yours? He’s big.” Gerard says.

Frank laughs, “Yeah. 65 pounds. He’s four years old, though. They think his stomach flipped, they’re doing x-rays now.” 

There’s a sound from behind him, and Frank turns. Ray is there, holding two cups of coffee.

“Praise allah,” he says, taking a cup from Ray, and a big gulp. Ray looks at Gerard, and offers his hand, “Ray,” he says, Gerard shakes his hand. He and pulls out his own pack of cigarettes and lights one. 

“Well this is one way to spend my morning.” Ray says with a small smile, “Guess I won’t be making it to work tomorrow..or, well, today I guess.” 

Gerard and Frank nod silently. Gerard stamps out his cigarette in time with Frank, immediately lights another one, and gives one to Frank. 

Frank smiles, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” 

“No problem.” 

They smoke in silence for quite a while, until finally, it seems like going inside and waiting is the only thing to do. Gerard sits opposite he and Ray, and Ray takes Frank’s hand and squeezes. Frank lays his head on Ray’s shoulder. 

“Gerard?” The doctor sticks her head out of the door to the back, and beckons for him. Gerard gets up, looking even more worried. 

“Hope everything turns out okay,” Frank says to him, quietly. 

Gerard thanks him quickly and disappears. It seems like hours until Gerard emerges, and when he does, he looks horribly upset. 

“Everything okay?” 

Gerard just shakes his head, “It is parvo. They’re going to keep her here to treat her, I may be able to bring her home in a few days if she starts to improve, but it’s not looking good right now.” 

“I’m really sorry,” Frank says. 

“Thanks. I’m just gonna go home, try and get some sleep I guess.” 

Frank nods, and watches Gerard leave. 

Frank’s on the phone with the hospital every three hours for four days. On the fifth day, they say he gets to come home, finally, _finally._ The surgery to flip his stomach back really took it out of the poor guy, and when Frank picks him up, he wags his tail just a bit, and licks Frank’s cheek a couple times. They girl at the desk is the same one from the night he brought Winston in, and she gives Frank all the care instructions. She gives him two different medications to give Winston once a day for a week, and tells him Winston needs lots of rest, and no strenuous exercise. Frank listens carefully, and makes mental notes of everything, and then remembers something. 

“Hey, the guy that was here the night I brought Winston in, you know, Gerard?” The girl nods, “Is his puppy Zoe okay?” 

Her face falls, “Zoe didn’t make it,” she says. 

Frank feels his stomach drop, “Oh, oh no.” 

The girl just smiles sadly, and tells him to take good care of Winston, and call if he has any questions. Frank thanks her and leaves. Winston perks up a bit once they get home, and he grabs his elephant toy and curls up with it on the couch. They cuddle there for a bit, and Frank talks to him about the past four days, and what he’s missed. He wonders what people would think if anyone heard him talking to his dog like he was actually a person. Frank has entire conversations with Winston, and he thinks maybe that’s not normal. But in all honesty, Frank doesn’t have a lot of people to talk to. He’s got Ray, and Bob when he’s not in a mood, and that’s really it. He would talk to his mom, but she just worries about everything, and he doesn’t want to stress her out anymore than she already is. 

He takes Winston to the dog park two weeks later, with an all clear from the doctor. Winston has regained his usual energy, and bolts the second Frank lets him off the leash. He sits at a table and pulls out the book was supposed to have finished yesterday for his stupid class. He hears growling, and looks up, it’s two other dogs, thankfully, not Winston, and then Frank sees someone on a bench about twenty feet away from where he’s sitting. Frank puts his book back into his backpack, and walks to the bench. 

“Hi, Gerard,” He says, sitting down next to him. 

Gerard looks up, “Oh,” He says, and smiles just a bit, “Hi.” 

“I heard about Zoe. I’m really sorry.” 

Gerard doesn’t say anything, just watches the dogs play. Eventually, he says, “I’ve been coming here a lot. I just watch them play, you know. I never got to bring her because she wasn’t big enough yet.” 

“I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. I’m so sorry, Gerard.” 

Gerard smiles sadly and says, “I hadn’t had her for that long, only about three months, really. But she kind of...well, I mean, she was kind of my...baby. My baby girl. Does that sound stupid?” 

“Not at all.” Frank says honestly, “I’ve had Winston for four years now, and he’s been my baby boy ever since they put him in my arms. I can’t imagine my life without him. I’m his daddy, you know?” 

Gerard nods, and Frank can tell he’s thinking _someone gets it,_ and Frank puts his hand on Gerard leg and gives the smallest squeeze, as if to say _you’re not weird, you’re not crazy, it’s okay._ Gerard looks at him, stares really, deep into his eyes, and smiles. 

“Hey, you um, would you want to maybe go out sometime?” 

Gerard looks confused, “What about Ray?” 

Frank’s eyebrows furrow, “What about Ray?”

“Well, did you two break up, or I mean, wouldn’t he mind?” 

Frank laughs, loud and booming, and finally, composes himself enough to say, “Ray’s not my boyfriend.” 

“Oh.” Gerard says, looking slightly embarrassed, “I just thought, I guess I thought, you know, I mean he was there with you, and you two were hugging and holding hands and stuff, so....” He trails off. 

Frank laughs again, “We’ve been best friends for god, what, eight years now? I love the guy, and I’d do anything for him, and I think he would for me, but Ray’s about as straight as they come.” 

 “Oh,” Gerard says again. “Okay.” 

“So it’s a date then?” 

Gerard smiles, “Definitely.”

 


End file.
